Emergency safety signal



Oct. 11, 1949. F, ARNQLD 2,484,142

EMERGENCY SAFETY SIGNAL Filed March 28, 1947 Zhwefitor FRANK ARNOLD (Ittomeg Patented Oct. 11, 1949 UNITED STATES EMERGENCY SAFETY SIGNAL Frank Arnold, McKeeslBocks, Pa.

Application March '28, 1947,'Serial No. 787,852

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to a safety signal, and while "primarily designed and intended for protective use when making emergency stops with amotor vehicle on -a highway, it will be obvious *that the device may be employed for any other purposes wherein it isfound to be applicable.

"Important objects and advantages of the in- -ventiongaretoprovide a safety signal of the character described, which 'may be successfully and conveniently employed to minimize hazards from passing vehicleswhen making an emergency stop at night on a highway with a motor vehicle, which may she quickly and readily mounted i-n pos'ition for use or collapsed compactly when not in use,

which is simple in its construction and arrangement, durable and eflicient in its use, attractive in appearance, and comparatively economical in its manufacture, operation and maintenance.

With the foregoing and otherobjects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts herein specifically described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, but it is to be understood that changes in the form, proportions, and details of construction may be resorted to that come within the scope of the claim hereunto appended.

In the drawing wherein like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a safety signal constructed in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is a top plan View thereof.

Figure 3 is a side elevational view of a modified form of the invention.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary top plan view of the modified form of the device.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the improved safety signal comprises a pair of framed reflector bottoms l and 2, which are secured to the upper end of a connecting bar 3 at respective sides of the latter. A similar pair of reflector buttons 4 and 5 are secured to the lower end of the connecting bar at respective sides of the latter. The reflector buttons are generally of the conventional type, being constructed of glass, circular in contour, and fairly large. The reflector buttons are red in color, as they are intended to indicate caution or danger when viewed in use. It will be obvious that the described arrangement of the reflector buttons is such that the appearance of the device is similar when viewed from either side.

The pair of upper reflectors l and 2 are spaced 'from the lower reflectors 4 and 5 on the connecting'bar 3, and'this assembly is detachably carried by a vertically disposed supporting bracket 6. The upper and lower ends of the supporting brackets are each formed to provide an-attaching lug, respectively indicated at l and 8, which extend horizontally outward at right angles to the supporting bracket. Each of the attaching lugs l and '8 is provided with an oblong transversely extending slot, respectively indicated at '9 and H9.

The lower end portion of the connecting bar '3 projects horizontally inward and is shaped to form an attaching hook I l, which is detachably engaged in'thc slot It in the lower attaching lug '8. A horizontally disposed holding arm 1'2 has its outer end pivotally connected, as at 13, tothe connecting bar 3 intermediate of the associated pairs of reflector buttons 2, 3, and 4, 5. The inner free end of the holding arm is formed with a depending attaching lip M, which engages detachably in the slot 9 of the upper attaching lug 1. As the hookand lip-are constructed of flatstrip metal, they will prevent the lateral sway of the connecting bar and reflector buttons, when said hook and lip are engaged in respective oblong slots Ill and 9, as clearly shown in Figure 1.

The length of the holding arm 12 is such that when the lip I l thereof is engaged in the slot 9, the connecting bar 3 will be disposed outwardly approximately at an angle of forty-five degrees from the Vertical, whereby the upper pair of reflector buttons 2, 3, will be disposed at a similar angle with respect to the lower reflector buttons 4, 5. Such angular disposition of respective pairs of reflector buttons is, of course, novel and unusual, and is intended to be so to attract attention and thereby incite caution in the viewer.

The supporting bracket 6 is provided with a pair of conventional suction cups l5, by which the device may be removabl mounted in position against the side of an automobile body, or any other available and suitable flat surface. It is apparent that instead of employing the suction cups to attach the supporting bracket in position, the latter may be permanently secured in position at the side of the vehicle, especially on trucks and the like.

In practice, the safety signal is mounted in position whenever it is necessary to make a prolonged stop with a vehicle, at night, on the highway, as for instance, to change a tire, or to make any other repairs requiring the operator in person on the highway itself. The headlights on passing vehicles will reflect against the reflector buttons and cause the latter to gleam and thereby be visible to the operators of passing vehicles. Under such conditions the operators of passing vehicles will know that an impaired. Vehicle is at stand-still on the highway, and will proceed with due caution. As the safety signal is identical on either side thereof, it will signalize its warn ing to the operators of passing vehicles regardless in what direction the latter may be travelling.

When not in use the signal device may be compactly collapsed or folded together to facilitate its handling, transportation, and storage.

The modified form of safety signal, shown in Figures 3 and 4, comprises a pair of electrically V operated lamps i6 and H, which are supported in angular spaced relation to each other on a supporting frame l8 and a clamping member I9. The latter and the frame I8 are secured together by an eye-bolt 20. Each of the lamps has a lens 2| at each side thereof, and the operating current is supplied thereto, through the eye-bolt 2t, and is formed with a depending lip 26 which is detachably engaged in the upper end of the supporting bracket 2c.

The supporting bracket 24 secured to a vertical standard 21, which extends removably into a suitable portable standard 28, whereby the whole signal device may be placed at any required position to best promote safety when emergency stops are made by a vehicle on a highway at night.

The present invention provides a most efficient device of its kind, which may be economically constructed, and successfully employed for for the purposes and in the manner herein set forth.

What I claim is:

A safety signal of the class described, comprising the combination of a vertically disposed supporting bracket, a horizontally extending attaching lug formed at each end of said bracket and projecting outwardly from the latter, each of said lugs being provided with an oblong transversely extending slot, a connecting member, a flat inwardly disposed hook formed at the lower end of said member and being detachably engaged in the oblong slot in the lower of said lugs, a pair of luminous signalling elements disposed back to back secured at each end of said member on respective sides of the latter, a holding arm having its outer end pivotally connected with said member intermediate said pairs of elements, a flat attachin lip depending from the free inner end of said arm and being detachably engaged in the oblong slot in the upper of said lugs, said arm holding said member outwardly at an angle from the vertical to position the upper pair of said elements outwardly at an angle from the vertical with respect to the lower pair of said elements, and a pair of suction cups secured adjacent to respective ends of said bracket for attaching the latter to a supporting structure.

FRANK ARNOLD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,195,734 Riedel Aug. 22, 1916 1,415,465 Nigh May 9, 1922 1,796,694 Silva Mar. 17, 1931 1,918,087 Donley July 11, 1933 1,951,431 Meehan Mar. 20, 1934 2,165,562 Mack et a1 July 11, 1939 

